Novato police investigate bank robbery in Ignacio

Novato police were investigating a robbery Thursday afternoon at a bank in Ignacio, the second Marin bank heist in less than 24 hours and the fifth in the past month.

The robbery was reported at about 3:45 p.m. at the Westamerica branch at 300 Ignacio Blvd., police reported. Two witnesses said the robber urgently demanded $20 bills from the teller and fled from the bank, hopping over a fence toward the Jack in the Box restaurant on Enfrente Road.

The robber was described as about 30 years old and 5-foot-8 with a dark beanie, a dark hooded sweatshirt, black cargo pants, sunglasses and some kind of mask around his throat, police reported.

One witness said the robber appeared to be of mixed ethnicity with a light complexion, while another witness said the man had an Italian or Mediterranean complexion and spoke with a slight lisp.

Anyone with information can call the Novato Police Department at 897-4361. Tipsters can also call the multilingual Bay Area Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-222-8477, where they can remain anonymous and be eligible for a possible cash reward.

The recent spate of Marin bank robberies began with a Dec. 12 heist at the Chase branch in Greenbrae. The suspect has not been identified, and he was described as white with a grayish blond mustache, a black baseball cap, a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

On Dec. 20, a robber struck the Citibank in downtown San Rafael. Police identified the suspect as Jeremiah Clyde Martin, 37, and arrested him Dec. 22 at his apartment in San Francisco.

On Jan. 4, a robber struck the Westamerica at 1177 Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael. The robber was described as white and 25 to 35 years old with a medium build, and he was wearing a black beanie, sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt, police said.

On Thursday, a robber struck the Union Bank in Greenbrae at 5:45 p.m. The robber was described as white, 40 to 45 years old and 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall with blond hair, green eyes and scruffy facial hair, police said. He was wearing a gray beanie, a black turtleneck and other dark clothes.